Southern Baked Chicken Casserole

By á-9182

The recipe swaps out the usual canned cream of chicken soup in favor of a quick white sauce. A dash of hot sauce is the perfect finish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Tabasco
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pimentos (from a 4-ounce jar)
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (4 ounces)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Remove from the heat and stir in the mayonnaise, chicken and pimentos.
2. Transfer the chicken mixture to a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Scatter the crushed crackers on top. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the casserole is golden and bubbling. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.